Best FRFR speaker for low volume (besides studio monitors)

M

mike86325

Member
Hi, I'm looking to replace my current desktop setup of 2 yamaha HS7 studio monitors with an FRFR active speaker/cab. I'm never going to play out with whatever FRFR solution I get, I just need something I can play at low volumes (baby in the house now) without sacrificing the tone/character of what the Axe-Fx III can offer.

I've read a lot of posts about the different options out there and naturally gravitate towards either a CLR (if obtainable) or something from Xitone. I would assume in my case a 10in speaker may be best since I'll always be at low levels, but there is only one option offered between the two companies (Xitone 10in open back cab). This one looks like a decent option, but I haven't found feedback on it yet and I wish it was a open/closed convertible back like the MBritt model since I do play mostly rock/metal.

Anyways, I've never had the chance to play any of these so I'm just curious what others think of what will work best. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: I figure people may ask why I'm transitioning away from studio monitors, which are usually best for low volume. I play in a small, untreated room and standing and moving around so I'm never in the correct listening spot. A FRFR cab that can disperse the sound like a regular guitar app and sound good no matter where I am seems like a better option. Plus I need the desk space, portability, etc.
 
For low volumes just stick with your studio monitors - the Yamaha's are pretty decent monitors. I've used the Yamaha HS8 and the Adam A7x and they are both great.

But if you really want to get away from studio monitors the Atomic CLR gets a lot of attention. I currently have XiTone passive wedges and a Matrix GT1000FX. Although they sound ok, (and many people swear by this setup), I simply can't get the sound and feel I get through a real guitar cabinet without constantly tweaking presets. It just sounds artificial to me. I found the perfect solution for myself. For lower volumes I stick with my studio monitors - as @Admin M@ says you will never get a more authentic sound than studio monitors!! They just sound good! For louder jam volumes I shut off power amp and cabinet modelling and send my AF3 into my Mesa TC100 with a Mesa 2x12 cabinet. I now have the best of both worlds, depending on the situation. It's whatever works for you in the end though of course.
 
I use a Xitone 12” powered wedge that sounds great at low volume. Someone mentioned an EV wedge in another thread that I’d bet would sound great also.
Sorry but I don’t know the model name of the EV.
 
Admin M@ said:
Why do you want to stop using studio monitors? They're theoretically going to be more accurate than most dedicated guitar FRFR speakers.
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You read my mind, I just edited my post to include my reasons. I've thought about downsizing to Adam A5X or A3X's to better fit the room and hopefully for better sound (HS7's sound a bit harsh to me at times), but I'll never be at the right height to enjoy them properly. This along with the portability issue, desk space, and near zero chance I will need anything to mix or record on in the near future. Kind of just need something for picking up and having fun for now.


Rekster said:
For low volumes just stick with your studio monitors - the Yamaha's are pretty decent monitors. I've used the Yamaha HS8 and the Adam A7x and they are both great.

But if you really want to get away from studio monitors the Atomic CLR gets a lot of attention. I currently have XiTone passive wedges and a Matrix GT1000FX. Although they sound ok, (and many people swear by this setup), I simply can't get the sound and feel I get through a real guitar cabinet without constantly tweaking presets. It just sounds artificial to me. I found the perfect solution for myself. For lower volumes I stick with my studio monitors - as @Admin M@ says you will never get a more authentic sound than studio monitors!! They just sound good! For louder jam volumes I shut off power amp and cabinet modelling and send my AF3 into my Mesa TC100 with a Mesa 2x12 cabinet. I now have the best of both worlds, depending on the situation. It's whatever works for you in the end though of course.
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Do you feel that you get that experience (real guitar cabinet feel) out of monitors? I feel like I'm missing that feeling with my current studio monitors and have heard so many people rave about FRFR cabs because they bring that "amp in the room" feel back.

Fro68 said:
I use a Xitone 12” powered wedge that sounds great at low volume. Someone mentioned an EV wedge in another thread that I’d bet would sound great also.
Sorry but I don’t know the model name of the EV.
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That's great to hear! I am considering getting one of Xitone's active speakers, but I haven't read enough about how they perform at low volume. So the 12" isn't overkill at low volume? (like conversation or baby down the hall volume)? Have you compared your setup to studio monitors or other FRFR setups? Just curious how you like it vs. everything else out there.
 
mike86325 said:
Do you feel that you get that experience (real guitar cabinet feel) out of monitors? I feel like I'm missing that feeling with my current studio monitors and have heard so many people rave about FRFR cabs because they bring that "amp in the room" feel back.
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I don't feel I get a real guitar cabinet feel out of monitors, but I have a mic'ed sound that sounds 100x better! :) My experience with FRFR cabs is that they do a great job but I was always missing something. Think about it this way, you're just amplifying a mic'ed sound up to higher volumes. It's going to have a different sound than a guitar cabinet. You will hear more frequencies than a guitar cabinet produces. For me, I prefer sending into a tube power amp and a real guitar cabinet for those higher volume jams. But when I'm on my own and want to work on music quietly, the studio monitors win every time. This is just my subjective opinion though, many others swear by their FRFR cab solutions. And to be completely transparent here, I haven't tried all the FRFR options out there. I'd love to, but it seems they are always sold out. As well as the $$$$ involved... :p
 
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I had the same Yamaha monitor you mentioned in your OP. The Xitone sounds better but I only had one Yamaha.
 
Studio monitors are just powered speakers. There's nothing actually special about them. At that price range, they're neither all that flat nor all that clear (meaning undistorted). It's just marketing. But, they are good for hitting 80s to low 90s dBSPL relatively cleanly. All of the stage-focused speakers I've heard don't sound right until they're much louder.

Okay, so....before you spend money. I'm going to suggest you try one thing that's going to sound dumb. Set up your monitors wrong. Put them more or less next to each other, on the floor or just off it (milk crate, box, isoAcoustics stand, whatever) basically where you would put a guitar amp. Then turn off the room/air simulations and any reverb you have for room feel as opposed to as an effect. If you like it at all, you can tame/reinforce the bass based on how far they're off the ground.

It won't be perfect because just pure volume is a significant component of room feel, but it'll be a lot closer to what you seem to want. The reason it works is that it lets your amp/cam sim (with the minor effect of the mic & preamp sims in the cab block) interact with your room the way a guitar amp would....which sounds and feels more natural. And when you really get down to it, everything the cab block does boils down to some EQ and some compression, which is rarely all that life-changing in this context. But, changing how the sound interacts with the room is big.

Yes, I'm new here. And new to Fractal. But, I'm not particularly new to direct guitar sounds. My rig has been based off a DSM Simplifier for a little over a year. It sounds pretty bad (bland, lifeless, no room sound/feel) through my very nice mains in my well treated room, at least in terms of playing experience. Through a single studio monitor off to the side and just off the floor, it sounds a lot more like a really small/quiet half stack. It's not the same as a half stack, but it's also 90dB instead of 110. My shiny new FM3 seems to work best basically the same way, at least for my experience in the room (and the other set of outputs can record just fine without monitoring through the DAW).
 
In all honesty, I would suggest you spend a few hundred $$$ on room treatment.. anything above whisper quiet and a room inserts itself into the sound..and usually not in a good way.

and then just play with the global EQ.. if you want the HS& to sound more "cab like", use the global eq to give a bump about 120hz and roll off the entire response at 60Hz and 6kHz..

the HS7 are more than capable of waking a sleeping baby and annoying everyone in the house.. just don't ask how i know...
 
Admin M@ said:
Why do you want to stop using studio monitors? They're theoretically going to be more accurate than most dedicated guitar FRFR speakers.
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I have to agree. I thought when I was getting started with modelers that I wanted anything but my real 4x12 guitar cab and studio monitors, but when I finally just got studio monitors because I needed them anyway… it cured me of the GAS.
 
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